5 things to watch on the gridiron

With another prep football season ready to begin, here are five things to keep an eye on under the Friday night lights in week number one.

The Heat – With temperatures expected to be in the low nineties Friday in the area and many teams down in numbers, the heat and humidity are bound to play a role.

New Coaches – Three area schools will have brand new coaches as Waterford’s Eric McCutcheon, Warren’s Tim Carver and Caldwell’s Grant Gaydos all will look to register their first career win for their respective teams.

Streaks – Several teams have winning streaks on the line as Fort Frye has won 12 consecutive regular season games while Williamstown and Monroe Central open the season riding four -game regular season streaks. Warren would like nothing better than to bring an end to a losing streak that currently stands at 18.

Dominic Vanfossen -The Tiger junior running back comes into the season with a lot of hype after rushing for more than 1,300 yards as a sophomore. Look for a big game from the 5-foot-10, 200 -pound back as the Tigers travel to Morgan.

Breakout Teams -While teams such as Fort Frye, Williamstown and St. Marys are expected to compete for the playoffs year in and year out, a few teams seemingly come out of nowhere to contend each season. Keep an eye on the Waterford Wiildcats and the Shenandoah Zeps in 2016 to have breakout seasons and potentially contend for the postseason.